Production archive
Billy Elliot the Musical
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From the CYTC cast
Aisling Caroll Turner:
"My most memorable moment of the BYT West End Gala Weekend was opening the show, the energy just before the curtain rose was so intense. But also the cheers when we finished Shine!! :D
"What the Billy Elliot experience meant to me: It has helped me discover myself and grow in confidence, make friends and take up opportunities I otherwise wouldn't have ever had access to. Thank you for everything x"
Alannnah Batchelor:
"My most memorable moment of the BYT West End Gala Weekend was performing Shine on the stage and just looking up at the huge audience watching us!! It was over powering!!
"What the Billy Elliot experience meant to me: It's soo hard to sum it up but it has been an AMAZING experience, meeting loads of great other people and just having so much fun!! I will never forget it :D x"
Amelia Thornton:
"My most memorable moment of the BYT West End Gala Weekend was smiling at the end of performing Shine at the Victoria Palace and knowing that I had just given the dance 210% , and singing Electricity and hearing the song coming from almost 400 voices all around the theatre and seeing how many of the audience were moved to tears.
"What the Billy Elliot experience meant to me: the Billy Elliot experience was indescribable, it was the best thing I have ever done in my life and it meant the world to me that I was a part of it. I think that the problems the company encountered only brought city youth theatre closer together , and I think the performances showed just how much Billy Elliot meant to all of us."
Anna Wheddon:
"My most memorable moment of the BYT West End Gala Weekend was the Finale because it was so amazing and when all the Billys came on it looked so amaing, and it sounded so good too and I felt proud to like be involved with it all.
"What the Billy Elliot experience meant to me: The Billy Elliot experience was brilliant, the show week was just the best and I met so many lovely people, and it was nice to do some dancing because I have never done any before so it was really fun. Also we not only had a week of shows, but we had the chance to perform on the Brighton bandstand and the Victoria Palace which was so amazing. I don't think I will forget Billy ever it was just so good and such a good experience!!"
Annie Gray:
"My most memorable moment of the BYT West End Gala Weekend was when the ballet girls stepped out of the wing with their feather bowers, felt amazing!!
"What the Billy Elliot experience meant to me: So much, it was such an wonderful opportunity and was so so grateful to have been a part of it!!"
Ben Judd:
"My most memorable moment of the BYT West End Gala Weekend was my entrance.
"What the Billy Elliot experience meant to me: an incredible experience."
Catherine Silvester:
"My most memorable moment of the BYT West End Gala Weekend was City Theatre Youth opening the show and the reaction from the audience also the finale when every one sang electricity and the audience were on their feet clapping.
"What the Billy Elliot experience meant to me: the Billy experience has been amazing as I have met new people and performed in the show which I have also wanted to do, appearing on the Victoria Palace stage was an unbelievable honour. The Billy weekend will always bring a smile to my face."
Connor Lovejoy:
"My most memorable moment was standing on the stage looking out at all those people applauding and knowing that I was part of entertaining them.
"The Billy experience has helped me make so many new friends and allowed me to perform on a West End Stage!"
Ella Fitzpatrick:
"My most memorable moment of the BYT West End Gala Weekend was performing on Sunday night Stars Look Down and nothing will ever recreate that moment where everyone sung 'Electricity.'
"What the Billy Elliot experience meant to me: A wonderful opportunity to perform on a West End stage, a dream come true."
Ellie Sothcott:
"My most memorable moment of the BYT West End Gala weekend was definitely performing Shine on that absolutely breathtaking stage, I've never felt more incredible and special and I still can't believe I was given that opportunity. It was simply amazing. Thank you ever so much!!!
"The Billy Elliot experience meant everything to me, for those few months it was by far the very best thing in my life, and words can't describe how much I loved every moment of it. We all grew so close as a cast and the whole cast was so talented! It was brilliant to do so many other things as well as the actual shows at the Sallis Benney; I have gained so much experience, happiness, skills and love for the show. I feel privileged to have been given the chance just to be involved in this Billy experience and to get the part of Debbie was an extraordinary bonus. Thank you so much to the brilliantly talented creative team for letting me be a part of this, I'll never forget it!"
Elliott Head-Lee :
"My most memorable moment of the BYT West End Gala was the opening number when the curtains went back and you saw the amount of people that were focused on our group, It was truly amazing!
"The Billy Elliot experience meant everything to me it was absolutely amazing and I could do it over and over and over again!"
Emma Naef:
"My most memorable moment of the BYT West End Gala Weekend was when the curtains opened, I heard the roar of the audience, and I realised that I was centre stage at the Victoria Palace Theatre. My dream come true!
"What the Billy Elliot experience meant to me: It meant realising my dreams, meeting amazing and talented people, working hard and having one of the best experiences of my life so far that I will never forget!"
Eve Bellers:
"My most memorable moment of the BYT West End Gala Weekend was the applause after we had done our number was like nothing I have experienced, the adrenaline which pumps through your body, you freeze, lapping up the audience's appreciation!
"What the Billy Elliot experience meant to me: the Billy experience is simply inspiring, I am so grateful to be involved it this magical show, I have had the opportunity to be an independent person, make new friends, be in the Billy showcase and put on an terrific show. I am very sad that this roller-coaster ride is coming to an end!"
Jack Vine:
"My most memorable moment of the BYT West End Gala Weekend was that applause after our first number, it was a wall of sound that made me really emotional because it made all our months of hard work worth it with 10 seconds of a massive applause from a sellout at the Victoria Palace!
"What the Billy Elliot experience meant to me: It has meant a lot because it has convinced me of the career I want, and I want to be performing on a west end stage every night! It has showed me what the professional life is like and I want to have that in my future :)"
Jake Bone:
"My most memorable moment of the BYT West End Gala Weekend was meeting all the Billys and getting told by one of them that they preferred my Gola shoes to theirs.
"What the Billy Elliot experience meant to me: It has been one of the best experiences of my life. It has given me a chance to perform on a West End stage and make loads of friends and also along the way I have learnt how to sing and tap. (I have made some friends for life as well.)"
Joe Wolstenholme:
"My most memorable moment of the BYT West End Gala Weekend was being in the Electricity finale, it was great fun!
"What the Billy Elliot experience meant to me: It was great being at The Victoria Palace Theatre with so many new and old friends."
Jordan Lamarca:
"My most memorable moment of the BYT West End Gala Weekend was the feeling whenever I sat on that stage and thought "oh my god it's a west end stage...an actual west end stage!!!!!" it was a good but scary feeling.
"What the Billy Elliot experience meant to me: It meant the world. it has been so emotional and a wonderful thing to be a part of. the group felt like a second family to me and I'll never forget them. I'm always catching myself out singing Billy songs and my life feels empty now that we no longer have to rehearse. That feeling of performing in that play was a great feeling which I hope to one day feel again.xx"
Kitty Mitchell Turner:
"My most memorable moment of the BYT West End Gala weekend was when the ballet girls came back on in 'Shine' with the feather boas and the audience started clapping... you know it must be good when the audience are clapping out of time!
"The Billy Elliot experience meant Everything to me. As well as inspiring me to do more dancing it let me meet new people, make one of my dreams come true and is a memory I can look back on and smile."
Lauren Whedbee:
"My most memorable moment of the BYT West End Gala Weekend was when the curtains opened in the performance and I could see and knew that all those people were watching and it was my west end debut at the age of 17!
"What the Billy Elliot experience meant to me: The experience meant so much to me as it gave me the opportunity to meet wonderful people and get the help from a wonderful team and helped to secure my belief that a career in musical theatre is what I ultimately want to do."
Leah Wolstenholme:
"My most memorable moment of the BYT West End Gala Weekend was being able to be on a West End stage with all of my really close friends who I have been lucky enough to get to know over the last six months.
"What the Billy Elliot experience meant to me: I've become really close to lots of people in the show and I'm really happy that I've been part of the whole experience."
Liam Maddin:
"My most memorable moment of the BYT West End Gala Weekend was finding out we would be performing in the West End, It was like your dream was just given to you!
"What the Billy Elliot experience meant to me: There will be no show which I'll cherish more."
Lili Young:
"It's hard to choose, the whole thing was amazing! Getting to work with the directors, mds, choreographers was just fantastic! But I'd have to say my most memorable moment of BYT West End Gala Weekend was when we got to work through Electricty finale and everyone sung together for the first time, it sounded phenomenal and I was just filled with glee!
"Doing Billy Elliot has been the BEST six months of my entire life and being able to have the opportunity to perform on the Westend stage was incredible! I have learnt from this experience that performing is all I want to do, all I can do. This experience has just spurred me on! :) I can't thank everyone enough for all of this and I will never forget it, never! :)"
Maisy Ruffels:
"My most memorable moment of the BYT West End Gala Weekend was the feeling of being in the wings just before we went on stage for 'Shine', the feeling of excitement and nerves and the overall experience of it all!!! If this was to happen again without a doubt I would do it!!! :)
"What the Billy Elliot experience meant to me: It meant the world!!! Billy Elliot will stick with me forever and I will never let it go. I have now got my whole family singing it around the house, because I sang it so much they now know all the words!!! I will never forget the fun, excitement and incredible feeling of taking part in Billy Elliot!!! It really was a dream come true!!!
"ps: Thank you for every thing CYTC has done for me!!! I am so sad it is all over. I just want to do it all again!!! :("
Niki Clarke:
"It was the best experience ever. I just wish I could do it every night."
Rafe Hall:
"My most memorable moment of the BYT West End Gala Weekend was actually performing on stage, it's an unforgettable moment.
"What the Billy Elliot experience meant to me: Haha. The world, words can't explain it, it was the most amazing experience of my life, I'll never forget it."
Simon Taylor:
"My most memorable moment of the BYT West End Gala Weekend was being able to see the back stage area including the dressing rooms of the cast plus performing in the real set and opening the show.
"What the Billy Elliot experience meant to me: It has meant a lot to just have the experience of working on the West End stage but to also be directed and rehearse with the production crew in the industry. Furthermore it's been an opportunity to do something I've always wanted to do and hopefully won't be the last. It meant the world to me and I thank everyone involved who put it on to make those two days happen."
Sophie Collins:
"My most memorable moment of the BYT West End Gala Weekend was when the tabs went up and I saw the audience! it was such a great experience!
"What the Billy Elliot experience meant to me: absolutely everything ! I loved every second of it!"
Sophie Tickel:
"My most memorable moment of the BYT West End Gala weekend was the performance. I loved performing on the professional stage and the audience were amazing!
"The Billy experience meant a lot to me, it has fulfilled my dreams of performing on the West End and I have had a lot of fun!"
"I've never felt more incredible and special and I still can't believe I was given that opportunity. It was simply amazing. Thank you ever so much!!!"